"Note: For anyone who was subscribed to my previous Patreon, please send me a message on my new account. If I recognize you from before, I'll happily give you a free month."
Chapter 578, I Told You Necromancers Aren't Suited for Dueling
Ka ka ka~!
The sound of switches being turned on echoed.
Immediately, screens mounted on tall racks displayed the scenes inside the dueling ground.
Below the screen racks, numerous skeletons stood guard, preventing the onlookers from getting too close or causing any damage.
The crowd, eager to watch the spectacle, tilted their heads to look at the screens, their eyes widening with disbelief.
"We can actually see inside!"
"Another new gadget, never seen anything like it before."
"This thing is great! We can watch from the back without squeezing to the front, which is much safer."
Some merchant representatives also stared at the screens.
"What kind of device is this? If it can be sold, it'll definitely be valuable."
"The Island Lord has many new tools. We should ask him about them later."
"Even the guild headquarters probably doesn't have something that can display images like this."
"Shut up, the Island Lord is stepping onto the stage."
Everyone turned their heads upon hearing this, and on the screen, they saw Wu Heng, clad in a mage's robe, standing on one side of the dueling ground, with a skeleton retainer beside him, dressed in leather armor and a hooded cloak.
Opposite him stood a golden-haired, blue-eyed challenger, also in a robe, but layered with leather armor on top.
Most had already heard about this duel.
But this was their first time seeing the challenger in person.
"He's quite young."
"I heard he's one of the guild's young geniuses. His background must be different."
"You can tell just by looking at him."
"Who are you rooting for?"
"The Island Lord, of course. He comes from a background like ours and hasn't been a Professional for long."
"Yeah, he represents Gold-Silver Island. Whether this guy wins or loses, he'll just leave. It doesn't concern us."
"True."
...…
On the dueling platform.
"Both sides confirmed. The duel begins!"
As Shiyali finished speaking, she quickly retreated.
The duelists cast their spells simultaneously.
Wu Heng was immediately wrapped in a skeletal battle armor, while a pre-set shield took effect. On the other hand, Luan was also enveloped in a pale yellow mage shield.
Then, Luan gripped a staff, his eyes suddenly sharp and focused. With a swift motion, his staff pointed forward, firing multiple ice-blue ice spikes, as fast as arrows.
Wu Heng also raised his staff, casually waving it—Fireball Spell launched.
Boom~!
The ice spikes and fireball collided mid-air, erupting into a burst of flames and ice shards.
"You even know Evocation magic, not bad!" Luan casually praised, then raised his staff, swiftly channeling another spell.
A thick lightning serpent shot out.
Wu Heng responded in kind, releasing a lightning bolt.
Boom—Crackle!
Two bolts of lightning clashed, sending sparks scattering.
"Let's see how many different schools of magic you actually know!" Luan sneered.
Wind vortexes began swirling around him, making his robe billow.
Then, countless silver-white birds materialized all around, densely packed like a swarm returning to their nests, diving toward Wu Heng and his skeleton retainer from all directions.
Wu Heng's eyes narrowed slightly.
He had never seen this spell before.
He swiftly sidestepped, running diagonally.
But the silver birds seemed locked onto him, relentlessly pursuing him.
Boom boom boom~!
A series of explosions erupted, engulfing Wu Heng's position in a storm of lightning and explosions.
It was as if he had been caught in a continuous barrage of detonations.
Thick smoke rose, covering the entire area.
No figure emerged. His presence disappeared from sight.
Luan's eyebrows lifted. "That's it? The duel is already over? With this kind of strength, how did he become the Island Lord of Gold-Silver Island? His power is even weaker than a normal guild deputy steward!"
...…
Watching the screen, seeing Wu Heng's figure engulfed by silver-white explosions, the audience frowned deeply.
"No way!"
"The Island Lord took down so many pirates. How could he be this weak?"
"I told you, necromancers aren't suited for dueling! If he could send in all his skeletons, he'd beat that brat to a pulp!"
"What's the point of saying that? Both sides agreed to the duel."
...…
"Sigh~! That was too harsh. I told Luan to mind the occasion. Letting him duel the younger generation was supposed to sharpen his skills—why did he hit so hard?"
On the viewing platform, the old mage chuckled as he feigned reprimanding.
Sheila Grey glanced at him.
But on the old mage's face, she could only see fake humility.
She let out a cold snort, saying nothing.
Though she didn't believe Wu Heng would lose.
She still kept an eye on the dueling arena.
If there was real danger, she would step in immediately.
...…
"Big Sis, the Island Lord doesn't seem to have the advantage."
Macintosh's subordinate whispered beside her.
Getting hit by such dense magic right at the start—even a melee-class warrior wouldn't be able to withstand this level of concentrated bombardment.
"Big Sis, I've arranged for people to wait at sea. Once they leave, we can…."
As he spoke, he made a throat-slitting gesture.
Macintosh turned and glared at him, then said, "That skeleton of his is at least Level 15. If a fight breaks out, it can hold its own for a while."
The subordinate was stunned, turning his gaze toward the skeleton on the stage.
The skeleton retainer standing beside Wu Heng remained unmoved, and even the spell-cast birds that had attacked earlier hadn't caused any damage.
...…
The murmurs in the crowd grew louder.
"The Island Lord is fine; he protected himself!"
"I knew it! No way he'd go down that fast."
"But necromancers don't seem to have many offensive abilities, right?"
...…
On the dueling ground.
Just as everyone thought Wu Heng had lost.
A gentle breeze blew, dispersing the smoke and dust.
From the blast zone of the silver-white spell birds, a earth-colored coffin slowly rose from the ground before crumbling away.
Wu Heng stood there, completely unscathed.
Luan's eyes narrowed. "You hid? Truly fitting for a necromancer."
Wu Heng glanced at him.
The spell had been impressive, and it was a type of magic he hadn't seen before.
If he could learn it, it would be just like a drone bombing.
Whether in battle or against zombies, it would be extremely useful.
Wu Heng looked at Luan, whose expression had turned icy cold, and forced a smile. "That was quite the spectacle. This is my first time dueling a mage—I wanted to see the effect. Gotta admit, it startled me."
Luan let out a cold snort. "Arrogant!"
He swung his staff again, summoning a scarlet flame tornado that began to whirl across the battlefield, stirring up a violent storm.
Another new spell.
Evocation magic really is terrifying, most of its spells deal massive destructive damage.
Wu Heng dashed away, avoiding the whirling inferno.
At the same time, his staff flicked as he began rapid casting—[Contagion Ray][Weakening Ray][Wounding Hex]were fired off in quick succession.
Luan, mid-cast, staggered.
Blood dripped from his nose and mouth, soaking his collar.
Wounding Hex functioned like a curse—useless against undead, but against living beings…
Especially those of lower level, it inflicted severe damage.
Luan's eyes widened, his body flaring with green light.
The negative status effects instantly vanished.
At the same time, he fired back, unleashing Ice Spikes, Silver-White Spell Birds, and Windfire Blades in rapid succession.
A barrage of attacks bombarded Wu Heng's position.
The ground shook with explosions, debris flying, a cloud of dust filling the air.
Yet Wu Heng moved with a speed far beyond what a mage should be capable of.
"Why isn't your skeleton moving? Are you looking down on me?" Luan snapped, his voice cold.
Then, without hesitation, he drew the rapier from his waist, lunging toward Wu Heng at full speed.
Even as he closed in, he continued to cast spells, launching a relentless barrage.
Explosion after explosion rocked the battlefield.
Wu Heng suddenly stopped running.
A rapier appeared in his hand—instead of retreating, he charged straight at Luan.
...…
As their swords clashed, the spectators erupted.
"They drew their swords! Both of them!"
"Aren't they supposed to be mages?! What are they doing?"
"Are all mages like this? Blast magic first, then fight up close?!"
...…
Clang~!
Metal struck metal.
Wu Heng's rapier blocked Luan's thrust aimed at his chest.
Then, with a swift flick, he knocked the rapier aside, causing Luan to lose balance slightly.
Wu Heng followed up immediately, executing Hawk-Eye Swordplay, his attacks relentless as he slashed repeatedly at Luan.
Animate Objects activated—Luan's collar suddenly tightened around his throat, and his pants waistband jerked upward.
Luan's body flared again, the magical suppression breaking the effects of the enchantment.
He clumsily parried, forced into a defensive stance.
A rapier is thin and straight, specialized for thrusting.
Against Wu Heng's relentless slashes, it began to bend under the pressure.
Luan hadn't expected Wu Heng to be this strong—his own sword techniques, which he prided himself on, were being completely overwhelmed.
Each attack struck like a tidal wave.
He tried to cast a spell, but Wu Heng's attacks kept breaking his concentration. As he tried to dodge, his left shoulder was hit.
His leather armor tore open, blood spilling.
Luan staggered back, his eyes flashing with fear and hesitation.
As Wu Heng charged forward again, Luan ran his hand along his rapier, igniting it with searing flames.
With a quick step, he lunged forward again.
Suddenly, his body split into three identical forms, all striking simultaneously.
The center form aimed for Wu Heng's forehead, the left one stabbed at his side, and the right one thrust at his heart.
The three figures moved in perfect unison, lightning-fast, their rapiers about to pierce their target.
But just as Luan's attack was about to land—Wu Heng's figure suddenly shifted.